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100 Kodiak driverless trucks are headed for public roads
Atlas Energy Solutions is significantly expanding its fleet of driverless lorries powered by Kodiak's autonomous driving technology, which currently haul sand to oil and gas well sites in Texas and New Mexico without anyone in the cab. This marks a notable step for the sector, as the trucks are set to move beyond private industrial roads and onto public highways, offering an early indication of how driverless haulage technology could scale up more broadly.
Atlas and Kodiak intend to grow the fleet from 28 to 100 driverless lorries by mid-2027, with the vehicles expected to begin operating on public roads in early 2027. However, that timeline remains contingent on the companies meeting certain operational milestones before the wider rollout proceeds.
In short
- Atlas and Kodiak plan to expand fleet from 28 to 100 driverless lorries by 2027
- Trucks currently haul sand at oil and gas sites in Texas, New Mexico
- Public road operation targeted for early 2027, pending operational milestones
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the expansion argue that autonomous trucking represents meaningful technological progress that could improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and help address persistent driver shortages in the logistics sector. They contend that a measured approach—growing the fleet whilst meeting safety milestones before wider public road deployment—represents responsible innovation that could benefit industry economics and eventually consumers through more reliable, cost-effective haulage.
The case against
Those raising concerns maintain that deploying driverless vehicles on public roads presents substantial safety risks before the technology is adequately proven in real-world conditions, threatens livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of professional drivers, and leaves important regulatory and liability questions unresolved. They argue that prioritising commercial expansion over rigorous safety validation and worker protection reflects a problematic rush to automation driven by corporate interests rather than genuine public benefit.
Explained simply
Atlas Energy Solutions supplies sand used in oil and gas operations, where it must be moved to well sites in areas such as Texas and New Mexico. Kodiak provides the autonomous driving technology used in some of Atlas’s lorries, which can travel without a driver in the cab.
So far, the lorries have carried sand on private industrial roads. Moving onto public highways would bring them into everyday traffic and test how driverless haulage works beyond controlled work sites. The companies’ plans depend on meeting operational milestones, and the results could offer an early indication of whether this type of transport can be expanded.